FAQs

What kind of composite cylinders are these?A. These are type 3 composite cylinders. They have a 6061 aluminum liner. The same kind of aluminum currently used for standard medical and industrial aluminum cylinders. The aluminum liner is then fully wrapped with lightweight, high strength carbon fiber.

What are the kinds of composite cylinders?A. There are four (4) cylinders types:Type 1: traditional seamless steel tube cylinderType 2: usually a traditional seamless steel cylinder that is reinforced with a hoop wrap of carbon fiberType 3: [the L-GTM type] consists of a metal liner (usually aluminum) with a full composite fiber overwrap (this can be lightweight/high strength carbon fiber or inexpensive/low strength fiber glass)Type 4: these cylinders consist of a plastic liner with a full composite overwrap.

What sort of maintenance is involved with composite cylinders?A. The cylinders require very little maintenance and because they are composite, they avoid the need for periodic sandblasting and painting. The DOT does require that the cylinders be retested every five (5) years. Currently, the cylinders only need to be hydrostatically proof tested. L-GTM is developing a program so that the cylinders can be tested in the field and for about $200 per cylinder.B. L-GTM is working with a group to get approval for acoustic emissions testing of the cylinders which would further reduce the 5 year retesting cost.

Are they DOT approved?A. The cylinders are manufactured under a DOT and TC special permit and approved for operation in the USA and Canada.

How many transports has L-GTM manufactured?A. L-GTM has manufactured over 200 transports and are in use in Asia, USA, Canada, and Middle East. L-GTM currently supplies a 20’ ISO container (GTM5100) to the US military for the transportation of helium which the military airlifts from the USA to Afganhistan and Iraq to support base surveillance balloon operations.

Who else is using composite transports here in the USA?A. Major industrial gas companies such as Air Products and Airgas are using composite cylinder based tube trailers. L-GTM’s are being used for helium, hydrogen, breathing air, argon, nitrogen, and natural gas services here in the USA.

What do they cost and why do they cost so much?A. Composites do carry about a 20%-30% premium over steel cylinders from a capex perspective. However, we can usually show customers that this price differential can easily be made up for within the first year based on the operating savings. In the long term, this represents a tremendous savings for the customer.

How long has Luxfer-GTM Technologies been making transports?A. Luxfer-GTM shipped its first transports in 2007. It started with innovating a 20’ ISO transport for moving natural gas (CNG) in Indonesia a country where moving jumbo tube trailers on the roads was not possible in most cases. L-GTM’s 20’ISO package, now called the GTM5100, had a gas capacity of 180,000scf, the same as a 40’ jumbo steel tube trailer, and did it for almost half the weight.

What is the life of a composite cylinder?A. Under the terms of the special permit, the DOT has given the cylinders a 15 year life. This the cylinder life currently given to all composite cylinders. However, the DOT does provide for subsequent five year life extensions based on the test results of cylinders randomly pulled from the field at 10 and at 13 years. This is 15 year life is typically given to new technologies, similar to the first special permits given to large tube currently used in tube trailers.

It is highly likely that Luxfer’s type 3 cylinders will last far beyond the 15 year life and be granted life extensions for the following reasons:· Typical cycle life is 25,000 to 30,000 versus steel tubes with a cycle life of 20,000-25,000· Type 3 cylinders have been in use in high cycle life applications such as buses and trucks for over 15 years with no failures or issues